Ontario tenants can now install air conditioning units
A new law taking effect July 1 allows renters to add window or portable air conditioners if their landlord doesn't supply cooling.
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Ontario renters gained an explicit legal right to install air conditioning starting Wednesday, July 1, as a new provision of a 2023 law comes into force during a stifling heat wave.
Tenants can now install and use a window air conditioner or portable unit if their landlord doesn't supply air conditioning, subject to certain conditions. Landlords may prohibit the installation if a tenant fails to notify them in writing ahead of time, doesn't provide energy efficiency information about the unit, or if the installation would damage the rental property.
The law also specifies that if the landlord pays for electricity, rent can be raised if an air conditioner is installed by the tenant on or after July 1, 2026.
July 1 also marks several other regulatory changes across Canada: the age for publicly funded colorectal cancer screening lowers from 50 to 45 in Ontario, pharmacists gain authority to assess and treat minor ailments and administer more publicly funded vaccines, Ontario drivers can opt out of some auto insurance accident benefits, and new licensing rules for drivers from outside the province take effect.
